Acetylene-gas generator.



No. 733,740. I PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. J. S. PHILPOTT.

AGETYLBNE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 25, 1903.

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PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES S. PHILPOTT, OF WINDSOR, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TOGEORGE A. NALLEY, OF WINDSOR, CALIFORNIA.

AC ETYLE N E-.GAS G ENERATO R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,740, dated July 14,1903.

Application filed March 25 1903 T0 0 whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. PHILPOTT, a. citizen of the United States,residing at W'indsor, county of Sonoma, State of California, haveinvented an Improvement in Acetylene- Gas Apparatus; and I-herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to an apparatus forth manufacture and storage ofacetylene gas and the means for automatically supplying the calciumcarbid when necessary and'cutting it oif at proper intervals.

It consists of a generator, a rising-and-falh' ing gasometer, areservoir for the carbidmovable in unison with the gasometer, a cut-offdevice, connections between said cut-off and the rising-and-falling belland with an ex-; terior stationary point whereby the two operate toactuate the cut-off valve and open it upon the reduction of the supplyand descent of the gas-holder and to close itandicut o'lf the supply bythe ingress of gas andthe rise of the gasometer.

It also comprises details of construction, which will be more fullyexplained'by referencetothe accompanyingdrawings,inwhich Figure 1 is avertical section. Fig. 2 is' a perspective view of the cut-01f gate,

It is the object of my invention to provide an automatically operatingapparatus for generating gas from calcium carbid or equivalent compoundfrom whichthe gas may be produced.

As illustrated in the present drawings, A is the water-tank of theapparatus, and B is a bell or gas-holder having an open bottom fittingin said tank and adapted to contain gas which is generated or deliveredthereto. The tank being filled to the proper height with water by anysuitable opening or connection,

the gas-holder B may be submerged, and when may be introduced into thewater ofzthe tank A, and the action of the water upon the carbid willevolve the gas,which will rise into the gasholder B and cause it in turnto rise in the water of the tank, as previously described.

In carrying out my invention I have shown a cylindrical or equivalenttube 6, of sufficient diameter for the purpose, fixed in the top andcentral of the gas-holder B, and this tube extends down to near thebottom of the gas holder, and it is closed at the bottom to forln -achamber into which the carbid may be delivered. In this position thecarbid will be acted upon by the water and the gas formed, thus raisingthe gas -holder, and with it the water,when gas will cease to be formed.When by use the'gas is withdrawn from the holder B, it and the chamber 6will sink by gravitation until the carbid is again submerged, thusalternately rising and falling and maintaining a sufficient supply ofgas until the charge of carbid .is exhausted.

My invention is designed to automatically renew the supply of carbid asfast as it is exhausted. It consists of a conically-shaped holder 7,fixed in the extension of the part 6, which risesabove the gas-holder B.Above this part 7-1nay be any suitable reservoir containing the carbid.This part 7 is funnelshaped, and extending transversely across the lowerpart of it is a cylindrical gate or valve 8,'mounted upon ahorizontally-journaled shaft 9, and this shaft extends out through'asuitable stufling-box 10 in the side of the tubular chamber 6, so thatthere will be no escape of gas at this point. The top of the reservoirmay be provided with any suit- I able hermetically-sealing cover 11,whichcan be easily removed to charge the upper part of the reservoir andthen be secured in place. The cylindrical gate 8 has one side cut away,as shown at 8, so that when turned this side may be brought into linewith the discharge of the part 7. When in this position, it provides afree opening or discharge from the reservoir above into the lower partof the carbid tube 6. When turned, the complete segment or back of thecylindrical gate 8 will extend across the discharge-opening of thefunnel '7, and thus prevent any further pas carbid-holder 6, until thecarbid is clear of the sage of the carbid. The shape of the cutawayportion 8, which is well shown in the drawings, forms a sharp cuttingedge at the junction of the opening with the cylindrical portion of 8,and this edge serves to positively cut off any hard portion or fragmentof the carbid whichmight otherwise clog and pre vent the gate fromturning.

In order to turn the gate automatically, I have shown a crank-arm 12,fixed upon the end of the shaft 9, which projects outside of the chamber6, and to the end of this crankarm is loosely connected a rod 13. Theupper end of the rod has a link It, and this link clasps ahorizontally-fixed bar 15. The length of the link is such that itmay'rise and fall a certain distance before its ends strike the bar 15.This bar 15 maybe fixed in any suitable or convenient relation above theapparatus. I have here shown it as formed of a tube connected by elbowsat the ends with vertical tubes, as 16, and these vertical tubes arefixed to and supported from the tank A.

The operation of the apparatus will then be as follows: When thegas-holder is at its lowest point, the upper curve of the link 14: willrest upon the fixed bar 15, and the length of the link and the rod 13 issuch that by its pull upon the crank 12 will turn the shaft 9 and thegate 8 until the latter is in line to allow a charge of carbid to fallinto the carbid-chamber 6, and being exposed to the water in the tankgas will immediately commence to form and the gasometer will rise. Asthe gasometer rises the link 14 will move freely upon the bar 15 untilits lower curve contacts with the bar. This prevents any further rise ofthe link and rod, and as the gasholder continues to rise under thepressure of the accumulating gas it causes the rod 13 to turn the crank12 and with it the gate 8, the edge of which thus acts to forcibly cutoff the body of carbid which lieswithin and across the gate, and whenthe gas-holder has risen sufficiently this action will have turned thegate so far that the cylindrical back portion will stand across thedischarge of the funnel 7 and thus cut off any further supply. Themovement of the parts is sufficient to allow the rise of the gas'holderto carry the carbid-chamber 6 above the surface of the water in thetank, and thus arrest any further production of gas until by use thequantity in the holder has been so reduced that the holder again sinksand allows the carbid to be submerged. This action will take placewithout opening the gate 8 on account of the length of the link 14:; butwhen the carbid charge in the holder 6 has been exhausted the gas-holderwill continue to sink, and the pull upon the rod 13 and the crank 12will then turn the gate sufficiently to open it and allow a furthercharge of carbid to be delivered into the holder 6.

The lower part of the tank A is preferably made with a conical bottom,as at 17, and at the apex of the cone is fixed a draw-oft cook 18, whichmay be operated by the lever or crank, as at 19, or by other suitablemeans, and opened to discharge the waste material, which will accumulatein the bottom of the chamber. Water may be supplied through a branchpipe, as at 20, to loosen and wash out this residue from time to time.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. An acetylene-gas apparatus consisting of a water-tank, a gas-holderadapted to rise and fall therein, a carbid submerger and reservoirextending through the top of the gas-holder and movable therewith, agate and cut-off located between the reservoir and the lower part of thecarbid-submerger and connections including a crank fixed to the gate, afixed stop or bar and a rod extending from the crank and having itsouter end engaging and adapted to move a limited distance relative tothe stop or bar, by which said gate is closed and opened automaticallyby the rising and falling of the gas-holder.

2. An acetylene-gas apparatus consisting of awater-tank, a gas-holderadapted to rise and fall within the tank, a tubular chamber fixed andextending vertically through the top o'f the gas-holder, the lower partof said chamher being adapted to contain and submerge the carbid, acarbid-reservoir formed in the upper part exterior to the gasometer, acon tracted discharge-passage from the reservoir to the lower part ofthe tube, a gate by which said passage is controlled, an arm extendingoutwardly through the side of the chamber having a crank fixed thereto,a rod connected with the crank and having its upper end adapted to slidea limited distance with relation to a fixed bar or stop whereby the riseand fall of the gas-holder actuates the cut-off valve 3. Anacetylene-gas machine consisting of a water-tank, a gas-holder adaptedto rise and fall therein having a vertical tubular chamber extendingthrough the top and adapted to contain carbid in the lower part and tosubmerge it in the water of the tank and the supply-reservoir in theupper part, a contracted passage between the reservoir and the interiorof the chamber, a horizontally-turnable cylindrical gate having one sidecut away to register with the discharge-passage, and an edge formedthereon whereby the turning of the gate acts to cut off the hard carbidand close the passage, and means including a fixed stop or bar, acrank-shaft extending from the gate and a connection from thecrank-shaft to the stop or bar and having a limited movement relative tothe latter whereby the gate is,automatically actuated.

4:. An acetylene-gas machine consisting of a water-tank, a gasometeradapted to riseand falltherein, a vertical tubular chamber carried bythe gas-holder, the lower part adapted to contain carbid and submerge itwithin the water-tank, the upper part forming a carbidreservoir, acontracted opening between the reservoir and the interior of thechamber, a transversely journaled cylindrical gate adapted to close thepassage having one side cut away to register with the passage whensufficiently turned, an edge formed at the junction of said cut-awayportion to act as a cutter for the mass of carbid, an exterior crankconnection with the gate-shaft, connections between said crank and afixed bar and having a limited movement relative to the latter, wherebythe rise and fall of the gasholder acts in conjunction With thefixed-bar to forcibly turn the gate and open or close thecarbid-passage.

5. An acetylene-gas machine consisting of a Water-tank, a gas-holderadapted to rise and fall therein, a carbid supply and submerging chambercarried by the gas-holder, a transversely-revoluble cylindrical gatehaving a within the limit of the length of the slot and the contact ofeither end of the slot with the fixed bar acts in conjunction with therising or fallinggasometer to forcibly close or open the gate.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES S. PHILPOTT.

WVitnesses LOUIS LEHN, 'W. O. LINDSAY.

